St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-16
Philadelphia Record


of my neighbours private affairs that
will ever come home to him. | do not
know my neighbor: but | owe him no
grudge. and would much sooner do him
Il favor than an injury. The first of his
domestic affairs that attractedmy special
notice were his two miScheYiOuS. curly
headed children. little he and she.
who to the best of their toddling ability
amused themselves and filled the
small area where they took their
sunshine with their infantile noise and
joyousnesS. am indebted to NY neigh
Dor for many momeEtary intervals of
such solace and satisfaction as Gray
Hair at the easement can snatch from
Golden Hair on the Greensward. Child
rem are the connecting link between the
heaven behind lis and the heaven we
hope for. Interest in the children nat
uralIy grew into interest for their care
taller-a bright-eyed, busy. quick-fO0ted
little mother. She might have stood to
a sculptor for a statue of Celebrity.
Bless me. How she did and how she
does go in and out and about. She
never rests.
1t is plain to be seen that the little
mother has no ''hired help" She is her
own sole baby -mnder. She is the chore-
dOer. She locks the babes in the area
back overweighted, poor thing. She
carries out the ashes and the garbage
to be taken by the delaying dustman.
She is the purveyOr of her own eStab-
liShment, as well as the houSekeeper
My neighborS are early breakfaSterS.
Thus it happens that do not look out
upon their morning affairs. But know
the little mother must rise early and
work swiftly, because the traces of
morning meals i'll her house are gone
before my breakfast hour. and because
every week. early in the day, | see her
wash" a multitudinous array of shirts
and sheets and household wear, hung
out to dry, filling the little area with
tapping linen and calico. She does her
own washing. too, and the quantity of
it gave me new hint. All the shirts
are not her husbands. He wouldn't
have SO many, even if he were clerk
in a hotel. There are three dodgers in
her house for whom she cooks and
washes and doubtless Sews on buttons
The heavy market-baStet is accounted
for.
L have seen the husband. 1t was
fine sunshiny day. and the wooden
blankets and winter garments were all
hung out and beaten. The moths are a
pest. He came out his house, fine,
strapping fellow, with cigar between
his teeth and good color in his cheeks.
MARY" he said, after inspecting his
winter overcoat, Il think you had bet
they cost money" | didn't like his
tone 1t wasn't unkind. but it was
unappreciative. He might have carried
in the clothes easily with his hulking
strength. For her they were great
load. But good, Obedient, faithful wife
that she is, she Immediately gathered
them up and trotted away with them,
looking like an Atlas in petticoats stag
gering under weight a world too heavy
for her. The husband doesn't romp
enough with his little curly-heads to
suit me, though | must acknowledge it
is none of my business. 1t grated on
my ear; too, the other day when the lit
tie mother Scolded them. She is learn
ing to scold. fancy, too. see her lips
are drawn little, and her cherry eyes
begin to have that tired look which
comes to all of Us, out of overwork, and,
perhaps, soul WEAKNESS. Late in the
night [ see bright fire in her kitchen,
and she swiftly passes between the fire
| light within and the darkness without.
Meanwhile the husband lounges and
smokes. By midnight the ironing is
done. On other evenings she is less
busy. Then she sewS, mends, darns
| and (heaven save the mark y rests her
self. She gets no time to read-at least,
1 never. catch her having the time OF
taking it.
So much for her. Her life. is. indeed.
Zone long, demnition grindr' There
may be little comforts within the walls
of the house where my eyes cannot pen
citrate. Probably the curly-heads bring
! CLEANS of pleasure to the mOther-heart
! But | am overcome with sadness every
time | see her. This monologue, per
! haps, would never have been written
but for a new turn in my neighbor's
| affairs that made of them sort of pub
lie property. He was arrested yester-
| day on a charge of violence. He is not
working now. He is striking for an
eight-hour day. he and his brother car
penters, and he is making it his business
to keep other men from working who
are willing to work nine hours. Still.
| i'll his idleneSS the never-ending work
of the household goes steadily on: but
he does not help. He does not even
take charge of the curly-heads. And
/ this leads me to think there are thou
sands upon thousands of little mothers
i'll the land who are wearing their lives
| out like the little mother 1 see this mo-
ment from my window. They work o,
10, IL, 16 hours day. They work till
the weary task is done. But they don [
strike. Villa better day ever come fol-
these patient drudges.
When Women Grow Old.
When woman begins to show her
age. says the Argonaut, the first part to
lose its firm, youthful contour is the
face and chin. then the neck and bust,
!